One grower in Lincolnshire reported losses of up to 60%.
Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian

Love them or loathe them, they are a staple part of the Christmas dinner. However, consumers shopping for sprouts this year could have less choice than usual after some British-grown crops were ravaged by “super-pest” moths during the summer.

Supermarkets said they were pulling out all the stops to ensure there were no empty shelves in the run-up to the crucial festive season, although some may be unable to supply some lines such as popular “sprout stalks” or loose sprouts and may relax their usual specifications to allow smaller or imperfect items.

The problem has arisen as a result of an explosion in the numbers of diamondback moths arriving in the UK from Europe, which can cause huge damage to crops such as sprouts, cabbages and cauliflowers as they are resistant to most insecticides.

Growers reported problems in the Channel Islands but this week some growers in Lincolnshire – which supplies almost two-thirds of all sprouts produced in the country – reported losses of up to 60%.

As much as 80% of total British sprout sales take place in the two weeks before Christmas and into the new year, although the much-maligned vegetables have been a surprise hit this summer as a popular addition to savoury juices and smoothies and in salads and stir-fries.

The National Farmers’ Union, which monitors supply problems throughout the UK, said there were always weather- and pest-related “challenges” for farmers and growers, and it would work closely with supermarkets and other retailers to ensure a consistent supply.

“This is an incredibly busy period for sprout producers, when the demand increases significantly for a relatively short part of the total growing season” said a spokesman. “It is not unusual for there to be weather- and pest-related challenges, which have the potential to impact on yield but growers and retailers work closely together to ensure that consumers will be able to get sprouts over the festive period.

“Discussions between suppliers and customers may include amendments to specifications to enable more of the crop to be sold. This year, size specifications are likely to be relaxed to enable smaller sprouts to be sold.”

Farmer Mike Capps, of RM Capps Ltd, near Boston in Lincolnshire, told the BBC the damage had been considerable. “We’ve had the biggest pile of damaged sprouts ever seen. We’ve actually had one field where we have thrown away about 60% of the crop – so we are below production cost.”

But larger producers in the area insisted there would not be any supply shortages this year. Richard Mowbray, commercial director of one of the UK’s largest brassica suppliers, TH Clements – a major supplier to Tesco from its 1,000-acre site in Benington, Lincolnshire – said: “We are currently harvesting 1 million sprouts every day, which is the equivalent of 200 tonnes. The yield is slightly down on previous years but consumers won’t be disappointed. There will be plenty to go round.”

Mowbray said he had heard from other growers that some retailers would be unlikely to sell sprout stalks (harvested earlier) or loose sprouts, and would be likely to offer shoppers peeled, pre-prepared sprouts in packs rather than a range of different lines.

Tesco sprout expert Rob Hooper said: “We’re not experiencing issues with our sprouts and our growers are working hard to ensure that we have ample supplies of high quality sprouts for the festive season.”

Out-of-season sprouts are typically imported from the Netherlands, where yields have also been low this year. In the UK, the peak harvesting season is next week to allow the freshest sprouts possible for Christmas Day.

Other supermarkets said they would not have to import sprouts to bolster their British offering. Waitrose said its sprout supply this year would be 100% British – with no apparent difficulties caused by the pest – while Sainsbury’s and Lidl also said they did not anticipate any shortages.